The English Friend
by goNxH
Summary: "Ok – so, just out of curiosity. Are you aware that there's a naked man sleeping in your bed?" - She should never have tried to set her best friend up!


**So... just fyi, this is not to be taken all that seriously. It was just a fun sentence that was stuck in my head and needed an outlet - and since Arrow is so very depressing right now, I thought it would fit.**

**As for the timeline. This story takes place after the Flash Crossover and pretense the mid-season finale never happend.**

**I don't own Arrow.**

* * *

><p><strong>The English Friend<strong>

He's nice, like really really nice… and that's the problem exactly.

Ray Palmer invited her to dinner – after the business dinner and their kiss – it's their second one. Felicity isn't even sure why she accepted (it's not that she doesn't like Ray, because she does, he's a good man), but she did anyway. Maybe it was because he always makes her feel wanted (she needs this – hasn't felt it in a long time). Felicity knows that it's selfish, but she's earned it and she needs to feel like she's desirable at least once in a while.

Things between Oliver and her have been tense since… their date and the kiss and the 'I can't be with you'. He hasn't tried to talk her out of going out with Ray (it hurts that he didn't). Not that she wanted him too, because she wasn't his property, she just wanted him to care.

Of course she isn't helping their atmosphere by going on dates with Palmer (but Oliver hurt her so bad and she isn't as good as everybody believes her to be – he hurt her and she wants to stop hurting).

Their date had been great too. Ray was attentive and lovely, he put her first and it wasn't fair that her mind kept wandering to someone else – that she kept comparing him to Oliver (especially after all that happened). Bevor she met Oliver Queen she would have been head over heels for Ray Palmer. Felicity was sure of it (because really Ray was perfect and funny and sweet) but now… Now everything about being with him feels wrong (being with Oliver – their date – their kiss that had felt right). Because she doesn't want nice, not anymore.

So yes, Ray is perfect – in theory, because they are somewhat alike.

Kissing him at her doorstep it's nice – but nice isn't enough, won't ever be enough ever again (not after incredible, world-shifting, toe-curling).

So she smiles and steps back, the looks she gives him is a mix between desperation and laughter, "Ray, I know this is going to sound completely crazy – but I know the perfect woman for you."

-Arrow-

"So, how was your date with Palmer?"

"Mhmm?" Felicity twirls her chair so that she faces Diggle, then she gives him a bright smile.

Behind his bodyguard Oliver tenses for only a few seconds, and then he starts attacking the training dummy with significantly more force than before. He doesn't want to think about her (ok, so maybe that's not true, but he most certainly doesn't want to think about her and Palmer in the same sentence, much less so about them in the same room or anywhere remotely near each other). He tries to block out their voices but he can always her loud and clear.

"Your date? With Palmer?" Diggle repeats.

"Oh…" Felicity blinks. "It was nice. He is… very charming." Her eyes flitter to Oliver who doesn't appear fazed, much less listening to their conversation. Felicity is just about to explain to Digg, that things between her and Palmer ended (if two dates and two kisses are a 'thing' – she isn't really sure about that), but her mobile interrupts her rudely.

„_Touch me, touch me, I wanna feel your body, your heartbeat next to…"_

Diggle raises an eyebrow and Felicity shrugs in response (her ringtones - her business). She takes the call.

Neither Digg nor Oliver can hear the other person on the phone, but the longer the conversation goes on the harder the blows on the training dummy fall and the more worried Diggle gets.

"Oh, you know, just sitting her wearing my cheerleader uniform," Felicity grins widely.

"Underwear? Never heard of it!" Her eyes twinkle and Diggle almost chokes on air.

"You're calling early. What's up?"

Whatever is said on the other side makes Felicity roll her eyes, "You're such a suck-up, but it's nice to hear your voice too."

She sighs, "Yes and no."

"This night will be worth it, I guarantee you."

"Oh, you poor thing!" its clearly fake, judging by the laughter in her tone.

"Alright, love you too!" with a bright smile Felicity hangs up and concentrates on her beloved babies.

Oliver's ears are ringing and it's like a punch in the gut. He had known about her and Palmer (really he had to be an idiot not to after he found them kissing in her office), but this… She loved him? He had wanted her to move on (not really but he'd like to pretend he did) only he wasn't ready to face the consequences of his decision yet. And how could she move on already?

"Oliver!" Diggle's harsh whisper interrupts his training. "You're breaking the dummy – and you're bleeding."

Oliver stares down at his bleeding knuckles for a minute.

"Take some time. Go shower and calm down," he says calmly and steers Oliver to the bathroom. Once Oliver disappears, Diggle looks at Felicity – contemplating whether to talk to her about her relationship with Palmer or not. He doesn't know how to feel about it really. He thinks Felicity would have been good for Oliver and her being so openly happy with another man – it's causing Oliver not only pain but distraction.

-Arrow-

The foundry is empty when Felicity finally makes her way down the stairs after yet another long day at work. She likes working for Ray, she really does, he's a good employer (he's just not the man for her – he could have been – would have been if it wasn't for Oliver – maybe – probably), but he expects a lot from her. Tonight she's late again. So late as a matter of fact that everyone is already out roaming the streets. She knows that she's neglecting her after-hour-work, but once the Ray's plans are executed, it's going to be better.

Diggle tried to talk to her about it multiple times, tried to explain how much Oliver is suffering (like it's her fault Oliver doesn't want to be with her).

He talked to her just yesterday about a phone call she received (from a friend – a female friend at that), because apparently he thought it was from Ray Palmer. It was a completely harmless phone call.

"_I don't even know what you're talking about!" Felicity frowns trying to understand what John was saying. _

"_Look, Felicity I know you're happy with Palmer, and I'm happy for you," Diggle states calmly. "But could you tone it down a bit around Oliver. Like when Palmer called you and…"_

"_Wait – what?" Felicity shakes her head, "I never talked to Ray on the phone in here."_

_Then she remembers Cassidy's phone call. _

"_What are you wearing?" her best friends greets happily in her strong English accent._

"_Oh, you know, just sitting her wearing my cheerleader uniform"._

"_Ah, come on, Fee. At least tell me the colour of your underwear!" Cassie complains. _

"_Underwear? Never heard of it!" _

_Her best friend laughs loudly and Felicity uses to opportunity to inquire why Cassie is callings early – usually it's after Team Arrow is already out saving the city._

"_What I can't simply call my best friend to hear her beautiful voice because I miss her?"_

"_You're such a suck-up, but it's nice to hear your voice too." _

"_Ok, for real now, I really want to know if that bloke really is what you make him out to be. What if you set me up with a creepy psychopath? I mean judging from your exes… Tell me he isn't like that!"_

"_Yes and no."_

"_Yes, he is what you make him out to be? And no, he isn't like one of your exes? Good! You do realise I have to fly all the way from London to Starling. This better be good!"_

"_This night will be worth it, I guarantee you."_

"_You better. My week was already bad enough. With Professor Know-it-all up my arse and then he scheduled a meeting after I was already off the clock. I swear he hates me!"_

"_Oh, you poor thing!"_

_Cassie draws in air sharply, "I can hear the sarcasm. But I'll let it slide, because I love you and because I have to go kill someone for messing up my equation with doodling!"_

"_Alright, love you too!"_

Oh! Felicity realises that perhaps if one were to hear only one part of the conversation it might be misleading… Still it's neither Diggle's business nor Oliver's (he made the decision – she won't wait around forever). She doesn't understand why Oliver even cares, he seems to do just fine. He and Laurel – Black Canary – work perfectly together (she's not jealous – no matter how often she thought that Diggle was right, it was always Laurel, always her and Oliver – because it's not jealousy if it's true). Somehow it feels just like back when Sara first joined - feels left out - like she's not needed anymore. And for tonight at least – that is true. Diggle just called and told her the four of them had everything under control, but she stays. She doesn't want to go because while she's in the Foundry she feels productive; at home she's alone with her thoughts. So she digs around and follows money trails that seem suspicious. And then she finally starts to think she might be onto something and of course her phone starts to ring (or rather Samantha Fox's voice fills the empty space around her).

But she's alone down here and she really doesn't want to lose the trail she just found – so she puts her best friend on speaker with a shrug. No one will know anyway.

"Guess who just put her foot on American soil."

Felicity's face splits in a grin, "Weren't you supposed to land tomorrow, Cassidy?"

"Well, I just thought, the sooner I get to see your pretty face the better. And if the bloke you're setting me up with, is really perfect enough 'to satisfy even my spoiled British arse' – thanks for that by the way – then I should bring my A-game."

Cassie launched into a detailed description of her horrendous flight, the highlight (and she really means it) was the couple getting caught trying to access the mile-high-club.

By the end of it, Felicity is laughing so hard she doesn't even hear the door opening, or the four pair of feet trampling down the stairs.

"I really hope he's worth it!" Cassie repeats.

And Felicity stops her furious typing to shake her head in incredulity. How can her best friend have so little faith in her? "He is – for the millionth time," she grumbles. Ray Palmer is impeccably perfect for Cassidy.

"He better be – or there'll be hell to pay. The last time I had sex, was back in ancient times, I can practically feel my virginity growing back."

Felicity makes a disgusted sound and scrunches up her face.

"And that means I'm living off of the most appalling sex, the poorest of all sexual experiences anyone has ever had!"

The laughter hits Felicity hard enough to forget the code she's been just a digit away from cracking.

Behind her everyone freezes, they have been considerate up until now, not wanting to disturb her, but now… Well, now it's getting interesting.

"Sure you're not exaggerating? It couldn't have possibly been as terrible as you make it sound," Felicity protests.

"He kept looking at himself in the mirror – the mirror on the wall behind us - which means he had to crane his neck the entire time, only so he could get off of himself. I mean, who does that?"

Felicity swallows down any comments she might have had, as Cassie falls into a rant about how she's perfectly able and plenty attractive. Enough so to satisfy a man.

"Oh, great! Your apartment is much warmer than I suspected!" Cassie interrupts herself with an exited squeal.

Felicity narrows her eyes and glares at her phone, "Did you break into my house?"

"Please, Fee. It's not breaking in if one has a key."

"You don't have a key!" Felicity points out sharply.

"Well, seriously now, Fee. You hide them in your geranium pot. You might as well, hand them out in the streets!" Cassie says snidely and Felicity grimaces. Maybe she really should find a more secure place to hide her keys.

Behind her Oliver tenses, his jaw clenches (how can she be so naïve? how dare she play with her safety like that? has she learned nothing in those past years?).

"Hey, if you don't mind, then I think I'll take a nap. Jet-lag and all that. Besides I wouldn't want to look like I spent hours in a hellish plane for my hot date."

Felicity groans, "You don't care one bit about privacy, do you?"

"Oh, please," Cassie huffs. "It's not like I'm going to go through your underwear drawe…" Cassie blinks once, then twice once she enters the bedroom. Then she retreats back to the living room (Felicity's name is on the mail), so Cassie goes back to the bedroom.

"Cassie? Everything alright?"

"Felicity… we tell each other everything, right?" Cassie frowns.

"Yep!" Felicity pops the 'p'.

"So, then I can safely assume, that your currently not dating anyone?"

"Yes…"

"And you didn't hook up with someone last night?"

"Yes…" Felicity stops her typing.

"Ok – so, just out of curiosity. Are you aware that there's a naked man sleeping in your bed?"

"What?!" her voice is nothing but a screech. The chair rolls back violently with the force of which she leaps up.

"Thought so… Oh! He woke up… bit older than I thought… and now he's coming over. Oh, hello! Aaand now he's hugging me… No, I'm not Felicity, but she's on her way" Cassie nods at him with a smile. "Or she better be," Cassie mutters under her breath. "See you soon, Fee!"

"Oh my god!" Felicity feels like she can't breathe, like she's having some weird out-of-body experience. Her eyes are wide and she blindly grabs for her purse. How could this happen to her?

"Hi!" she doesn't even question why they're here or when they've come in. She smiles a helpless smile (and it makes Oliver's heart churn). "So, I need to go home, because there's a naked man in my bed. Apparently. And I really don't know, how he got there… And normally this wouldn't be a problem right? But then again normally I know about all the naked people in my life. And now I think I need to burn my bed."

-Arrow-

Somehow they all manage to squeeze into the limousine. Felicity is ashen and Laurel places her hand on her knee in an attempt to calm her. She's fairly sure however that the blonde isn't even aware of her try. Oliver's hand twitches on the other side of Felicity, but he doesn't try and reach for her. His thoughts are swirling and he fights the urge to take her hand (because he's been fighting not to touch her for weeks now – and he can't allow himself to relapse now) – he might never let go off her.

Next to Oliver Roy is squirming in his seat, Oliver's homicidal aura is palpable and it causes pearls of sweat to run down his neck. Diggle shots him a reassuring look through the review mirror followed by a worried one for either Oliver or Felicity, Roy can't be sure.

Oliver doesn't quite understand what has him so riled up. Sure there is this whole 'naked-man-debacle' but Felicity doesn't know about him (which meant, that whoever he may be, he and Felicity didn't…). Maybe it's because something could have happened to her, if her friend hadn't come and detected the man, Felicity would have been alone in the house and… Suddenly something occurs to him, it's a random thought that he can't shake off. Her friend had asked Felicity if she dated anyone and Felicity had declined… Oliver frowns and pushes the thought back (maybe Felicity simply hasn't told her friend yet). He concentrates on the anger (anger it easier, he knows anger like an old friend – a steady companion).

They aren't very far from Felicity's when her mobile piques up again.

"You really need to change that ring tone," Laurel mumbles as Samantha Fox demanded to be touched.

It was in that very second that Oliver recognised the ring tone from a few days back, when Palmer was on the other side of the line. There's a sense of dread in him because the last thing he needs to top of this day turned nightmare.

Felicity's hands are numb and she fumbles trying to take the call. The phone almost falls from her fingers and Oliver carefully levers it from her hands and puts it on speaker.

"Hey Fee, guess what? The naked bloke makes great waffles!" And Oliver is relieved at the female voice (it's not Palmer's ringtone, then again she could use the customized for more than one person – though looking back at it choosing 'Touch me' for Palmer may have been a bit of a stretch). It's a weird kind of relief that floods him, but he can't enjoy the feeling. The voice however is certainly female and British and it's the same voice from before.

The words shake Felicity from her stupor. "What are you talking about? You're not seriously eating waffles made by a crazy naked man? They could be poisoned!"

Cassie huffs on the other side of the line. "Please, I've been flying through half the world and I'm running on only one meal – it the terrible food on the plan constitutes as such. And that means, if someone offers me waffles, I will eat those waffles. And my enjoyment of those waffles is in no way depending on the state of dress… or undress of the one making it. Also – you don't know if he's crazy!"

"He's still naked?" Felicity's voice gets higher. "He's making waffles while being naked?" She doesn't even recognise her voice anymore. Her hand is blindly, reflexively searching for Oliver's hand and once she find it her fingernails dig in his skin. He sits up straighter and allows his thumb to circle soothingly over the back of her hand.

"Yep!"

"He's naked… like naked in my kitchen," she sighs and it sounds dejected. "I imagined if there was a naked man cooking in my kitchen it would be under different circumstances."

Laurel sputters trying to hide her laughter, and even Oliver cracks a smile. The way she phrased it stirs a memory in him, "Very platonic circumstances?" He whispers silently in her ear. Felicity lets out a small laugh at this, and her fingers relax slightly in their grip on him.

"Mmh hmm," Cassie agrees thoughtfully. "Personally I find it highly impressive he hasn't hurt himself yet. I'd be worried about getting hot oil on my skin."

Felicity groans.

"So… I'll be hanging up then, because eating with one hand is proving rather difficult," Cassie hangs up and Felicity hangs her head. This day couldn't possibly get any worse.

-Arrow-

"Ok," Oliver gets out of the car first. "I'll go in first and assess the situation. We need to figure out what he wants and if he's dangerou… FELICITY!"

She doesn't even hear him as she storms to her door. Oliver curses under his breath and hastes after her. Why can't this woman listen?

Felicity almost stumbles in with the force she uses to open the door. If she wasted a single thought on it she would have felt Oliver's body heat on her back.

They are met with the sight of a cheerful blonde sitting happily at the kitchen table stuffing her face with waffles (they really did look top grade though).

"Hi Fee!" she waves over at the door, barely able to open her mouth with all the food in it.

Felicity shots daggers in her direction.

"Felicity?" a man sticks his head out of the kitchen. "Felicity! There you are!" A smile lights up the strangers face.

Felicity freezes and Oliver tenses behind her. He can tell she knows the man and levels him with his deadliest glare.

He swiftly assess whether or not he could take the stranger down should the need arise. The man was at least in his late fifties if not in his sixties, he's in good shape for his age, but Oliver has no doubt that he could take him down in less than thirty seconds. His long greying hair is bound back in a long tail and round spectacles sit on his nose. Oliver's body is on alert as the man makes his way over to where they are standing.

When he opens his arms – clearly going in for a hug - Oliver steps in front of Felicity before the man can engulf her. The muscles on his jaw threaten to break he's so tightly strung.

"Dad?"

He stops dead in his tracks and whirls around to face her. "Dad?" he mouths shocked.

First her mom and now her dad… This family never ceases to surprise him (it's only after that he recalls what little she told him about her father).

His eyes widen with the thought – that man left Felicity and her mother when she was a child, he left her and now she's afraid of losing someone close to her again (he won't ever forget the look on her face, the fear in her eyes when she told him she was afraid of losing him). Hot white anger shots through his veins and he balls his fist. His body vibrates with anger but he stomps it down.

He ignores the man in his back and grabs her elbow softly to stabilise her, his eyes are searching hers, trying to force her to centre on him. Her gaze darts around unfocused. She shrinks in herself, walls building around her rapidly – keeping everyone out, keeping him out.

"Bloody hell!" Cassie drops the fork and stares at the man with open mouth.

Diggle holds his breath at the revelation, he doesn't know the complete story of Felicity and her father, but he knows enough to take an instant dislike to the man. Roy and Laurel exchange glances, neither one is sure why but the atmosphere is intense, loaded with tension too thick to cut.

"I…" Felicity stumbles back and breaks away from Oliver's soft hold on her elbow. Her eyes dart around wildly and it doesn't take Oliver more than an instant to see the instinct to flight flashing in her gaze. Not a second later she frantically turns and bolts out of the house. She can't breathe in there, can't think in there – she need to get away.

Oliver shoots Diggle a quick glance that is answered with a grim nod. Then Oliver runs. He catches up to her in the driveway.

"Hey," he turns her around with a gently hold on her shoulder. "Felicity, hey."

The way he says her name reminds her painfully of the time when she told him about his mother's secret.

"Oliver, I… I can't do this. Not right now," her form trembles and it hits him how very small and frail she looks with her big scared eyes and her eyes wrapped around her protectively. "Please!"

"Ok," he tells her calmly. He takes her hand and leads her to the limousine. She follows and allows him to dispose her in the front seat without so much as a single noise. He gets in the driver's seat and starts the engine and then he just drives.

-Arrow-

When they finally stop they have long since left Starling City behind.

"Felicity…"

"God, this is so stupid," the tries desperately to find her smile through her tears. "I'm being so stupid, which is ironic because I'm not stupid. Not to brag or anything but I'm fairly intelligent, I was at MIT. I mean I don't think other people are stupid or that I'm smarter than anyone else. I guess it's really how you define intelligence, because I can't for the life of me not figure out how…"

"Felicity," Oliver interrupts softly, because he can see she's about to talk herself into panic and he can hardly understand her as it is with all the hiccups disrupting her ranting. He carefully and slowly detaches her fingers from one another, they are crammed together tightly enough that her nails left marks on her skin. His fingers glide in between hers and he squeezes her smaller hands.

"I can't believe he just showed up here. One day he simply got up and left – no explanation or anything, not even a reason. My mother, she… he broke her heart. And then he's just gone for almost twenty years and now he just – he just comes by to say hi?"

"Naked no less," Oliver adds and part of him is terrified his attempt to lighten the mood will make her cry or angry, so he's relived when she snorts. "And here I thought your mother was your family's highlight."

"You should meet my grandmother – she' joined a cult two years ago," Felicity grins a little. "And you thought your family was bad."

"We all have our cross to bear," Oliver retorts with a grin.

After they both stopped snickering, they stay seated in comfortable silence for a while.

"He didn't even know what I looked like. He thought Cassie was mem" Felicity shakes her head with new tears brimming in her eyes.

"I pity him. He has no idea what he has been missing out."

"Thanks," Felicity says quietly. And then after a little pause she adds. "Can we just stay here for a while? Please."

When she turns to him he resists the urge to run his thumb over her cheek.

"For as long as you want to."

-Arrow-

She finally agrees to at least talk to her father. He has come by her house every single day and stayed outside her door for hours and so she gives in after only three days, because she has so many questions and she needs to have answers to them (and because Cassie refused to see Ray until Felicity talked to her father – or rather until Felicity told her father exactly what she thought of him and 'stopped supressing the pain').

"So… how was dinner with your father? What did he want?" Oliver asks the minute she set foot in the foundry. He offered to shadow her – to come along or at least stay close, but Felicity threatened that if she saw even the slightest hint of him when she meet her father, she'd play a few very unfortunate photos of him into the press' hand.

Felicity shrugs and starts to tell him about their dinner. Her father had spent a long time explaining himself and assuring her of his regret about leaving them. "It was… weird – I think." She scrunches up her nose. "I don't know, he apologised and he tried to explain. We… we kind of have a lot in common – minus the naked thing, of course."

Oliver doesn't trust him one bit (then again he might be biased because that man caused Felicity pain and he doesn't want him anywhere near her) but Felicity is too forgiving for her own good. On the other hand Oliver understands her need to connect with her family. His family might have been dysfunctional but there was nothing he wouldn't do to have them back. But while his parents had been far from perfect at least they had stuck around, they had been there – her father had left her behind and not spared her a single thought for almost twenty years. Oliver isn't sure how she manage to even look at him without breaking his nose.

Diggle offers his opinion about how Felicity should give her father a chance – because he is her father after all.

Felicity nods slowly, "I know it's just. I don't want to give myself false hope. When I was younger I imagined him coming back. I dreamed of it every day and… well he never did. I don't want to get my hope up, because he could just change his mind again. I've got enough of that."

Oliver flinches like she slapped him. She added the last sentence as more of an afterthought. But he heard her anyway and it's like a physical blow because he knows she's talking about him – maybe not consciously . Unsure what he should say (if he should say anything at all) he opens his mouth only to close it a second later.

The door bangs open and to Oliver's horror it's Felicity's blonde English friend that storms down the stairs.

"Felicity Smoak! I will kill you! How dare you try and set me up with that bloke?"

"What?! What are you talking about? He's perfect for you!" Felicity twirls around to meet her.

"Oh really? Because usually I'm the good looking person in a relationship, because - let's face it I'm like super-hot. And also I'm the smart one in a relationship! I've got two PhDs – not one but two! And now? Now you're setting me up with… that guy and he's all like…. whatever. You can't do this to me! But it doesn't matter anyway, because I don't have his number and he didn't ask for mine. I'm so done!" she sinks down on the next best surface, exhausted from all the screaming (and denial).

Felicity's mobile vibrates (and yes, that means she's keeping the embarrassing ring tones limited to her crazy best friend who gets to pick a new one every month) and she smiles smugly as she looks up, "He just asked for your number."

"Really?" Cassie's head snaps up with a stupid grin on her face.

"You liike him," Felicity sings.

"Don't be ridiculous."

"What is she doing here?" Oliver cuts in darkly, his jaw his clenched and his tone is dangerously low.

"Oh… right," Felicity grimaces and remembers how he reacted after she decided to let Barry in on his identity – and this right now is so much worse. At least with Barry she had a reason and Barry served a purpose (he did save Oliver's life).

"Did you tell her who I am?" anger flames in him. What gives her the right to decide who to bring in on this? He admits begrudgingly that they had needed Barry.

"I'm her best friend," Cassie complains and shots Oliver a hot glare. "I know everything about her."

Felicity wrings her hands in a desperate manner, "Well, you see, it was kind of inevitable. I mean I told her about all those weird favours you asked of me before…" she gestures wildly around. "All this. And we're not stupid you know. We may didn't know for sure, but Cassie always said that it was suspicious and … And who do you think I called after you passed out bleeding in my car? I mean do you seriously believe I stayed calm the whole way here? I freaked and I had no idea where Verdant even was. So I rang her and she googled it for me and gave me directions. I might be good but not even I can google and drive at the same time. Ok – I may can, but I was a little freaked out with you dying in my back seat and all."

"She knew from the start?" he asks in disbelief and truly he doesn't know what's worse – that a stranger knows his most tightly guarded secret or that Felicity never told him.

Felicity looks at him with guilt and remorse written all over her face, "Oliver, I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? He bled all over your beautiful little car and he didn't even pay to get it cleaned!" Cassie exclaims loudly in protest.

"You didn't pay for that? That's cheap, man," Diggle agrees and Oliver shots him a hot 'are-you-seriously-taking-her-side?' glare and he also gets treated a pointed index finger.

In the end Oliver sighs and accept the fact that Cassie just knows. He doesn't really want to be mad at Felicity (he's been angry with her often enough without any real reason, so he can let this one slide). Besides considering that she knew all along and kept it quiet, Oliver can't really claim she's not trustworthy.

"I'm Oliver Queen," he formally introduces himself to her.

"Cassidy Winters. I'm not sure I like you."

She gives him a critical once-over and ignores Felicity groan of "do you always have to do that?"

After Diggle introduced himself, he asks. "So, who's this Mr. Perfect Felicity set you up with so thoughtlessly?"

"Oh, with Ray!" Felicity remarks gleefully while she twists a pen in between her fingers.

Oliver spins around so fast, he might have a whiplash.

"Ray? As in Ray Palmer?"

Felicity nods happily, "They looove each other."

"Shut up, Felicity."

-Arrow-

"You set her up with Palmer?" his fingers lurk are inches from hers (she can feel the heat emitting from his fingertips on her skin) but he doesn't give in to the desire to put his hand on her bare skin.

"The two of them are perfect for each other," Felicity frowns. "What's the problem?"

Oliver shakes his head, "No problem." He hesitates and clears his throat awkwardly, "I just thought you and Palmer…"

"She was just testing if he was a good enough kisser to live up to my standards," Cassie interjects; clearly she has been eavesdropping.

His jaw clenches (these days it feels like he barely ever relaxes) and throws a glare over his shoulder.

"Her recommendation is seriously great – truly delightful," Cassie adds for good measure.

His jealousy is quite amusing, Cassie decides. It was she who had to listen to Felicity moon over him, then tell her all excited about their date for days only for Felicity to fall into depression after Oliver told her he couldn't be with her. For a ridiculous reason really, but Cassie had kept her opinion to herself so far, because she doesn't know Olive. And until she absolutely has to Cassie doesn't really feel like getting involved in all that mess. But really she thinks Oliver deserves what he's getting.

"Whose recommendation?" Laurel skip down the stairs and Felicity gives her a smile. Oliver acknowledges her presence with a curt nod.

"Oh, hi! I'm Laurel. We didn't really get the opportunity to introduce ourselves to one another yesterday," Laurel politely and generously disregards the fact that Cassie threw them out of the house with Felicity's father after Oliver and Felicity drove off to god-knows-where.

"I'm Cassidy. Nice to meet you," Cassie extends her had. "So you're Laurel. I've heard quite a bit about you."

"You did? What did you hear?"

"Well," Cassie shrugs. "The usual you know. Felicity tells me a lot of things. I know things… many things," she says ominously in Oliver's direction. "One quick question though, just because I really need to know for my peace of mind. You don't plan on going around murdering people anytime soon do you?"

Laurel blinks in confusion, "Why ever would I do that?"

"I just think considering your history with Oliver and considering his history with… certain women turned crazy…" Cassie tilts her head and doesn't seem bothered by Felicity hissed "Cassidy!"

"Ah! Helena."

"That one… and the other one. What was her name again?"

"Isabel Rochev," Diggle offers, which earns him a harsh glare from Oliver.

"Isabel? You slept with…" Laurel grimaces in disgust and Oliver grinds his teeth.

"Oh, but you shouldn't think much of it," Cassie turns to him with compassion lacing her voice. "There are bound to be some crazy ones when you shag any reasonably attractive woman who happens to cross your path." She looks at Felicity contemplating. "Well Fee, you didn't quite make the cut it appears. That must hurt."

Laurel gapes and Diggle makes a choking sound at the back of his throat. Oliver's jaw is clenched so hard it might break and his eyes are filled with deadly rage, but before anyone is able to articulate a single sound loud music starts blasting through the Foundry.

_A little bit of Sandra in the sun._

_A little bit of Mary all night long. _

_A little bit of Jessica here I am._

_A little bit of you makes me your man!_

Laurel has to bite her lip hart so that she doesn't start laughing, even Diggle can't help the grin. Only Felicity doesn't look the least bit amused – apart from Oliver of course, who looks positively murderous.

"You had that planned from the start, right?" Felicity states and shakes her head in disapproval. She points at the Cassidy's mobile that's still happily playing Lou Bega.

"Of course!" Cassie perks up happily. "I've been waiting for this all day!"

Oliver points a finger at her then he changes his mind and turns away with a shake of his head. The door slams shut loudly behind him.

"So…" Cassie casts a glance at Felicity. "I suppose I'll go apologise then, won't I?"

-Arrow-

Oliver has the distinct feeling of wanting to ram an arrow through someone (he does have a certain someone in mind – he doubts however Felicity would approve of him killing her best friend). Usually he would try and get rid of his frustration by training and hitting the dummy until all he feels is the pain of his raw knuckles. Only that option was out, because his secret Lair is compromised by an impolite blonde English woman (who he may or may not wants to hurt). He tips back his head and throws the drink down his throat, relishing in the burn it left in his throat. It was the first of what he knew would be many drinks tonight. He knows he's no longer the man he once was – the man before the island who cheated and lied to the one woman he actually cared about. And Oliver knows that he is no longer him. Only that doesn't mean it doesn't sting to be reminded of what kind of person he was. And despite his best intentions, he realises that there had been more women in his life than he would have liked.

The difference is however is, that all of them (except for Isabel) meant something to him. What really gets to him however, is the absurd suggestion he hasn't slept with Felicity because she is in some way not good enough. When really she is too good – for him anyway. And he feels too much and… He gulps down the second drink without another thought.

"Felicity feels that I might have been out of line in some minor way, therefore I'm here to apologise."

"Is that so?" Oliver asks bitterly. "I don't hear the actual apology."

"I'm deeply sorry that I'm not scared to tell you what I really think about you," Cassie shrugs and slides on the stool next to his.

"What is your problem with me?" Oliver asks and his knuckles turn white from the harsh grip on the glass.

She shrugs again, "You claim that you love her, well care about her in the very least, but honestly I don't see it. So for me what you're sprouting is a load of bull."

Oliver looks up sharply, ever muscle in his body is tense, "What do you know?" He spews over the brim of his third drink.

"You want to know why I don't really believe you care all that much about Felicity? Why I dislike you?" she gets up and nails him with her gaze. "Fine, I'll tell you. You used her as bait – again and again. It didn't matter what happened to her, especially when the woman you truly loved was at stake. You risked Felicity's safety to make sure your ex-girlfriend was going to walk out of there unharmed. You used Felicity to save someone else – not for a second thinking of what the consequences for Felicity might be. How she might get out of it and if something would happen to her. You keep going around saying how much she matters to you, but they could have done god knows what with her while they had her. Not that you'd know anything about that, because you never asked her!"

Her words are angry, poisonous even and Oliver explodes before her words even reach his consciousness. "I trust Felicity and I trusted her when I gave her the syringe. And there is no one – no one that I trust more than Felicity. She's the strongest woman I know and I knew if anyone could do it, it was her. And I hated every second of it! I hated having to put her in danger."

Cassie shakes her head but doesn't reply. Instead she simply brushes past him and disappears in the dancing crowd.

After she's gone, Oliver stays motionless in his seat. What he told Cassie about trusting Felicity was not a lie, but as her words swirl around in his mind he slowly contemplates the weight of what she told him.

Because everything she knows about what happened, everything he knows about the situation with Slade – she knows from Felicity.

Because she is right (partly at least) and he feels bile rise inside him at the thought, he never did ask about the hours after he left her alone in the mansion (he had spent his time actively avoiding to talk about it – avoiding to even think about it). He asked her if she was alright after the ordeal was over. A part of him is still convinced that he knows Slade, despite all that happened, to a certain degree and that he wouldn't hurt a defenceless woman – at least not until Oliver was around to witness it. But what if he was wrong in assuming so?

-Arrow-

"Oliver?"

He turns to look over his shoulder barely able to tear himself away from the fascinating content of his fourth drink, he'd been staring into for the past… he doesn't know how much time has passed. He blinks and is met with Felicity's electric blue eyes tinted with concern for him.

"You may want to ease up on the glass, unless it really hurt you and now you're planning to break it," she carefully extracts it from his tight grip. And when he feels her soft touch on his skin, he finds himself relaxing almost involuntarily.

"Slade," the word tumbles from his lips before he can stop himself.

Felicity frowns and secretly wonders what Cassie has done to him (she has the strong notion that the words 'I'm sorry' were not a large part of their conversation).

"What about Slade?" she asks gently, then she climbs on the stool next to his. She lays her hand on top of his and he weaves their fingers together (it calms him – he needs it).

"I… I thought I knew him. Did…" he clears his throat painfully. "Did Slade hurt you?"

Felicity tilts her head and looks at him with a puzzled gaze. "Oliver," she sighs. "I don't know what Cassie suggested happened, but Slade didn't do anything to me. I mean he wasn't exactly gentle with me or anything, but he didn't go out of his way to inflict pain, if that's what you think."

"Will you…" he takes a deep breath. "Will you please tell me what happened that night? Please."

His eyes are begging her and Felicity realises how much he needs this. Needs to hear it. She had nightmares for weeks after what happened with Slade, but she dealt with it and got over it. She likes to think that she matured with it. Oliver didn't, she realises. He never really talked about it, opting instead to avoid the topic and ignore it.

So she starts, "When you left me in the mansion, I waited. Honestly, looking back that might have been the most terrifying part. I didn't know if your plan worked, when he'd come or who would come to get me… Well, I might have had a small nervous breakdown – on the inside of course. He sent two of his men, I think they were pretty flabbergasted when I didn't try to run – I like to think that I dazzled them with my coolness."

She gives him a grin. "Slade was… strange. He talked a lot about you and about Shado, but most of it didn't make a lot of sense to me – half the time it was like he wasn't talking about her but rather to her. I mean he occasionally said other things. He apparently found it very weak of me not to try and run or fight. I think it annoyed him that he couldn't figure out what you saw in me. He thought Laurel was the more appropriate choice for you."

His fingers tighten and she flinches. "Oliver, honestly – it's not like I took him very seriously. He was mentally deranged. And my brain was somewhat occupied with supressing my panic and not having an out of my inner mind breakdown experience. But…" she catches his gaze and runs her thumb over the back of his hand. "… I always knew you were coming. The entire time! So if my brain wasn't constantly trying to sabotage me, I wouldn't have worried at all. And you know best of all how much my brain hates me, and punishes me with word-vomit."

Oliver attempts a half-hearted smile. Felicity jumps from her chair and gives him a determined glare. "Oliver, I didn't doubt you for a second. I knew you were going to come for me and I'm happy you trusted me. You believed in me, that I could do it! And I'm really grateful for it, because you know… I don't usually get to kick ass, so that was really nice for a change."

She balances on her tip toes and presses a kiss to his cheek. His stubble tingles on her lips and she feels it all the way to her belly. It coils with heath, but she ignores the burning feeling (she kind of got used to that). "And now if you'll excuse me, I've got a best friend to kill."

-Arrow-

Felicity just puts down the last plate and casts a satisfied glance around the kitchen. The table looked neat and put together and she managed to actually cook dinner. She hears her best friend before she sees her, Cassie is busy putting her shirt on while still complaining loudly about Felicity inviting everyone to dinner.

"You do realise that I'm doing this to make amends for your behaviour yesterday," Felicity asks pointedly and stems her hands in her side.

Cassie has her mouth already open to protest but Felicity beats her to it. "I've got another hour to get ready and I will not waste it by listening to your ridiculous complains. I will go soak in the tub for at least half an hour and while I'm gone you're not going to make a mess, you won't touch anything – except the lasagne. That you will put in the oven in exactly twenty minutes."

"Aye, aye!" Cassie salutes and Felicity rolls her eyes.

Half an hour later – the lasagne is already in the oven, thank you very much – the doorbell rings. Cassie looks over her shoulder to the bathroom door, where Felicity hasn't emerged from yet. She shrugs and opens the door ready to let Felicity's annoying neighbour know that she has no idea where that damned cat is and that maybe there was a reason it was constantly running away.

"What are you doing here?" she finds herself asking instead when she is faced with the complete ensemble of Team Arrow.

"Why? It's six thirty and here we are," Diggle confirms with a look at his watch.

"Oh - right," Cassie says slowly and steps aside to let them in.

"Where's Felicity?" Oliver's eyes roam the room.

"There seems to have been a misunderstanding about the time. Fee's still in the bath. I'll let her know, so she can get out of the tub and get dressed," Cassie shrugs and steals a glance at Oliver's impassive face. At the sight of her grin however his eyes harden.

She asks Laurel to look after the lasagne (mostly because she doesn't trust any of the guys not to cause chaos in the kitchen and Felicity would surely blame her).

Cassie hasn't quite reached the bathroom door yet, when the sound of broken glass and a shriek from Felicity reaches her hears. She sprints the last few meters and rips the door open, barely even sensing the chaos that erupts behind her as Team Arrow simultaneously tries to reach the bathroom as fast as possible.

Felicity stands frozen in the middle of the tiny room, she has a huge towel wrapped around her that is hiding her body from view. Her eyes are wide and she stares at the man opposed from her shocked.

He just jumped through her bathroom window! She has all her lights on, he must have seen the house wasn't empty, the room wasn't empty and yet he decided to break in? It's only when she sees his bloodshot eyes and dazed-far-off look that she understands he's high.

"Oh! You should have let me know you had a bloke in here," Cassie remarks dryly and Felicity feels the need to throttle her.

The man looks around and a panic takes over in him, he clumsily takes out a knife and the quivering in his hands does nothing to reassure Felicity. He seems shaken and completely overwhelmed with the entire situation.

Behind the two women four more people try to squeeze into the room that is even too small for two people. Oliver curses the small tube-like bath room. He wouldn't even have been able to turn around in it, even if he had been alone in the room. But with this many people cramming in, he doesn't have the slightest chance to get to Felicity before the mad-man does – at least not with Cassie blocking the path. Out of the corner of his eyes he sees Diggle reaching for his gun, but his main focus is on Felicity. The blood is pumping through him and there's this white noise in his ears, when Diggle screams at the man to drop the knife it sounds like he was far away.

Cassie throws a look over her shoulder and grimaces at the gun. Before her there's a man with a knife, behind her one with a gun - and really the combination of both is really a problem. She can't see blood and she'd really prefer if they could somehow manage to get out of the situation without using either of the two.

"How about we try and resolve this situation with a non-violently approach?" she proposes nervously her gaze switching between the knife and the gun. This situation is quite laughable really. Here she is facing a burglar (or whatever the idiot was planning to do) with four super-heroes in her back – none of which is able to dissolve this situation without spilling blood.

"So," she turns to face the intruder. "I'm going to make you an offer. And I want you to really think about it. How about, you drop the knife – she drops the towel."

The knife clashes to the floor even before the voices of loud protest reach her ear.

"Wow… that – that was fast," Cassie looks impressed. "Good to know you still good it, huh?" She looks at Felicity expectantly, "Felicity?!"

"She sure as hell won't," Oliver hisses from behind and Cassie swears she can feel the pure hatred for her radiating from him in waves.

"I hate you," Felicity sighs. She ignores Oliver's protest (he says her name very sharply) and opens the front of her towel (she doesn't drop it of course – there are other people in the room). Because truly she has to admit as much as she dislikes the solution, she doesn't have to wipe blood of her tiles (and really he's so high he probably won't even remember it anyway).

Oliver makes a choking sound and balls his fists, he directs his death glare at Roy when the young man wolf-whistles under his breath, despite the fact that neither of them sees anything.

Cassie grins brightly and turns to her best friend just as Felicity closes the towel. "Hey," she chirps. "You tried that waxing thing I… Ouch!" she rubs at the spot Felicity hit.

Diggle reaches the man before Oliver – the bastard is lucky like, because Oliver looks ready to kill. It's not clear however who is anger is directed at – the idiot, Cassidy or Felicity.

"Oh, don't make that face. This picture has to sustain him through his time in prison," Cassie slaps him friendly on his back. And Oliver looks ready to flip over some tables.

"Uh… Oliver would you mind?" Felicity has the towel pressed tightly to her and urges him to get out so that she can get dressed.

"The window is broken."

Felicity nods, "I know. It's freezing in here. So will you please get out? My quota for people seeing me naked is already fulfilled for today… Not that I wouldn't want you to see me naked – or that I want it. Because I don't. At least not like this, I mean not at all. Can you please just go?"

Oliver turns around stiffly, but he doesn't stray far, he stays right I front of the door – just in case.

They had a very awkward dinner that night.

-Arrow-

"Can I ask you something, Fee?" Cassie catches the piece of chocolate with her mouth and grins proudly.

"Can I stop you?"

"Why aren't you with Oliver?"

Felicity freezes, "What? I… I thought you…"

"Let's be real here for a second. You love him since… well, since way too long. And now you know that he reciprocates your feelings. Meaning you could be having hot and messy sex with Oliver Queen on the metal table in his secret lair right after he worked up a sweat saving the city from some villains. As much as I like spending time with you – watching Community on Saturday at three a.m. seems like a waste of time once you take the alternative into consideration."

Something in between a laugh and a sob leaves Felicity's mouth, "I can't force him to be with me. He made his decision – it sure as hell wasn't mine."

Cassie raises an eyebrow, "Only it was. When has Oliver Queen ever said no to you?"

"One time too often," Felicity whispers.

"Not when it matters. How often have you told me about Oliver doing something stupid and you setting him straight? Let's forget for a moment that I don't like Oliver Queen, but you're not the kind of person who just allows people to make the wrong decisions right in front of her. What suddenly that doesn't apply to him? You're just letting him get away with something that ludicrous?"

Felicity shakes her head, "It's not that simple." She fights against the tears that are threatening to rise to the surface. But Cassie isn't done probing yet. "I can't force him to want to be with me."

"This isn't Todd Miller all over again, is it?"

Felicity groans and wonders for the umpteenth time why she told Cassie that story.

"Todd Miller told you in fifth grade that blondes were stupid and because you had a crush on him you started to dye your hair darker. And till this day you tell everyone you'd dye it and that you're not a blonde. Even your mother believes it! And need I remind you of that terrible 'Magic Black' in college?"

"I do dye my hair!" Felicity defends.

"Yes, from ugly-arse ash blonde that only dreadful dogs wear to real blonde! Such is the fate of every blonde, as time goes on our hair becomes darker – from sunshine to solar eclipse. Guess who else is dyeing their hair from ugly-arse ash blonde that only dreadful dogs wear to real nice blonde. Yes – I do!"

"What exactly do you want to hear?"

"The truth."

"The truth? Fine – the truth is that apparently I'm not worth is. Laurel, McKenna, Sara, Helena – to some extend even Isabel Rochev – were worth taking that risk. But clearly I'm not. He manages just fine without me. Maybe I'm not attractive enough, because he can keep his fingers from me just fine! He couldn't with every other women," she refuses to let the tears fall. "I'd be nothing but a stand-in anyway. Just a cheap replacement for Laurel. She's … she's** it **for Oliver. Always has been. How can I compare to that, especially now, that she started to train with him – to accompany him on his quest to save the city. She's endgame – I'm not."

So it was a Todd Miller thing! Cassie doesn't get to revel in her triumph for very long, because by now Felicity lost her fight against the tears and they are spilling over.

"I think you're wrong," Cassie finally speaks up again. "Admittedly I don't know Oliver well and I don't know much about his romantic entanglements before you. But in this case that might be a good thing, I don't see his past - I see the present as it is. Because it doesn't matter what happened before or what might or might not happen in the future – right now in this moment, he looks at you – and only you – as if you are the middle of his universe. His eyes are always following you."

She shrugs, "You can't go around playing 'what if' all the time, Fee. Don't let him make a decision that affects the both of you without putting up a fight."

-Arrow-

She'd be leaving in a few hours, but somehow she feels like there's still something she has to do. And that's why she's here - knocking on Oliver's door too early in the morning, thinking that this is a stupid idea. But she has something to say to him and he is going to listen.

The door opens and the expression on his face turns from annoyed at being woken up so to sour at seeing her in an instant.

"I was wrong you know," she starts without warning.

"What do you want?"

Cassie shoves past him and hurries inside.

"Please come on in," Oliver mutters sarcastically. "What with? What were you wrong about?" he wonders and turns to her.

"When I said you didn't love her – I was wrong," she answers simply.

His eyes widen slightly but apart from that, Oliver shows no visible reaction to her words, "And what made you change your mind?"

Cassie shot him her best 'are-you-serious' look, "Please! You keep staring at her or after her, and you drool all over her with a desperation of a kicked puppy. Honestly, it's a bit pathetic – ok, a lot pathetic. And then there's your overbearing protectiveness and your pointless jealousy. Again – pathetic."

Oliver fights the urge to throw her out of the house and he only wins because he has a feeling she's going somewhere with it. But really, he doesn't need to be insulted in his own home.

"That doesn't sound like an apology." He points out.

"Oh, it isn't. It's a kick up the arse!"

Oliver raises a brow.

"Well, I won't actually kick you. It's a metaphor. What I do have instead is the mathematical proof that you and Felicity should be together. Because it disproves your illogical and – as I'm about to prove – wrong reasoning for it being better if you're not with her. And logic is my forte – I have a PhD in Chemistry and one in Mathematics," Cassie ends triumphantly.

Oliver only blinks.

"You claim that Felicity would be endangered, were you to date her. Fine, let's work with that presumption. Her 'in-danger' factor would therefore rise, however it would only rise slightly –because by dating Oliver Queen she'd date the son of the woman who levelled an entire part of the city. It would also raise her risk if you'd still be a billionaire – but you're currently not, so I didn't take that into consideration. Also I don't think it would change much.

"The 'in-danger' factor doesn't rise by much - mostly because the danger Felicity is in doesn't stem from being with you in a romantic entanglement - but rather from her relations to the Arrow. Your and her private relationship status doesn't however change the fact that she is working for the Arrow.

"Then we need to reckon how her protection would change with a change in the relationship status with you – I called it the 'protectiveness' factor. Because once you're dating, you'll be spending more time with her, which heightens her security. That alone is enough to balance the previously mentioned higher 'in-danger' factor.

"Then of course we'll also need to attribute to the fact that a lot of Felicity's risk disperse by dating you. I call that the 'wanker' factor. You know, for all the potential wankers and idiots she might meet while dating and trying to find someone who actually wants to be with her," she grins and pulls out a piece of paper. "Therefore I conclude that she'd be safer if you'd be dating her. So whatever the reason you're not together – it has nothing to do with wanting to keep her safe. And I have the mathematical equation to prove it!" she exclaims proudly.

Oliver is already halfway out the door.

"What? You don't want to see it? 'Cause that explanation was maybe a bit complicated," Cassie yells after him. Then she sighs, "Why does everyone hate math?"

-Arrow-

„Can we talk?"

Felicity startles and drops her keys. She had dropped Cassie off on the airport and met her father for coffee and now she is looking forward to a hot bubble bath (her window is freshly repaired and even better isolated than the one before). But clearly Oliver has other plans.

"What are you doing here? How did you get…" Felicity stops herself. "Nevermind – you've been working your arrow magic." She shakes her head. "So… Can I offer you something or did you already attend to yourself?"

But Oliver can't deal with this right now. He's spent the entire day working up his courage for this moment. Cassie's words haven't left his mind and he's come to a conclusion.

"Felicity," the tone in his voice causes Felicity to still and her heart sinks. Something isn't right.

"Ok – let's talk. Sure, because that always worked out so well for us," she mutters quietly.

The past week with Cassie had been chaotic especially with her constantly pushing 'the-Oliver-issue'. And she knows her friend is right but she can't get Diggle voice out of her head '_Her. Always her. Everyone else be damned'. _She can't shake it off. She wants to be with him so badly, sometimes she thinks she can feel the pain physically. But he doesn't feel the same way. Even if he does love her – it's not enough. Not enough to be with her anyway. She doesn't want to be a woman he loves. She wants to be the woman he loves and can't be without – the woman he wants to be with.

Unsure of what to do with herself Felicity stays in the middle of the room. She hugs her arms around her torso, it's not a conscious gesture but a protective one nonetheless and Oliver reacts instinctively by taking a step closer to her. His fingers hover on her elbow and Felicity holds her breath – it's been a long time since they were that close to one another. She can smell the expensive fragrance of his cologne and heat coils in her stomach.

"Felicity."

His words are caressing her name and she hates him for it. Hates him for doing this to her and not going through with it. She shivers despite the warmth she can feel radiating from his fingertips that still ghost over her elbow (she's torn between wanting him to take a step back and relieve her of their closeness and wanting him to finally caress her skin like he does her name).

"I'm sorry, Felicity. I…" Oliver takes a deep steadying breath. "I thought I would protect you by staying away from you. But there's a mathematical formula proving me wrong.

She blinks at this and wonders what the hell he is talking about.

The warmth disappears from her elbow and Oliver runs a finger through his hair. "As long as you're working with the Arrow you'll always be in danger and…"

"No!" Felicity interrupts him sharply. "No! Oliver, you cannot throw me out of the team. I will not let you. I don't care about how dangerous you think it is. I knew what I was getting into! I told you before and I'm telling you know: This is my life! And I can do with it what I want. And I want…"

"Felicity," he grasps her arms this time to catch her attention. "I don't want you to leave the team. I…" he swallows. "I thought about it – a lot, but the truth is, that I…we'd be lost without you." His eyes meet hers, "I would be lost without you."

Her heart is beating rapidly and she fears it might jump from her chest or bruise her ribcage. The blood pumps through her ears and she holds her breath. When Oliver's eyes drift to her lips, her insides squirm.

"I thought I was protecting you, but I think I just tried to protect myself. I just that I'm terrified that I'll lose you and if we were dating… I don't think I could handle that. But…" the intensity with which he regards her almost makes her divert her eyes. "… I realised that it's too late for that already. Whether we're together or not… I can't bear the thought of losing you. It would hurt just as much – maybe even more if I never knew… . And I… I could die any day – we both could – and I don't want to think about all the things that could have been. I don't want to have any more regrets. And I don't want to be without you. If I die tomorrow I want you to be in it. I want to do…"

"... me?" she realises only a second later that it was her voice that spoke up. "I don't mean do me as in 'do me'. I mean not that I don't think you do, but I didn't…"

"Felicity," he interrupts and his voice breaks. "Is it too late for that? Us?"

She mostly managed to keep her tears from him – at least the one's she spilled over him, but this time she ignores the wetness on her cheeks. "You can't take it back, Oliver. You can't go back just because there's a crisis or something."

He cradles his head in his hands. "I won't," it's a whispered promise and he seals it with a kiss. "I love you," he mumbles in the shared air between them.

Her heart stops and her nails dig in his shirt as she pulls him to her. Her lips push against his with desperation.

When they break apart neither is able to keep the smile from their face.

"So, does that mean, that I don't have to call Cassidy so that she can sum her mathematical proof we should be together up again?"

Felicity smiles and scraps her fingers over his skull, "Maybe later because that sounds really interesting."

-Arrow-

"You're giving Queen Consolidated back to me?" Oliver regards the man seated opposed from him with scepticism.

When Ray Palmer rang him Oliver was surprised. He doesn't like the man all that much (but his opinion of Palmer had vastly improved since he knew that there was nothing between Felicity and him). Despite that, Palmer had had his lips on her and if Oliver still had his little disregarded black book with him – Ray Palmer would have instantly made top of the list.

Instead he's sitting in said man's office, finding himself talking business.

"Not exactly," Ray clarifies. "I'm offering you the position of CEO of Palmer Technologies."

Oliver frowns and decides to go with the most burning question first (he has a lot of those), "Why me?"

"Well, I wanted Felicity for the position initially - however…" Ray shrugged. "Felicity refused. I'm only offering you this position under the condition that she stays vice president, of course. I believe you and I aren't that different. I think we only want what's best for the city and that's why I want you for the position."

"Why do you want to leave?" Oliver inquires.

"Well, I'm planning to branch out and therefore my new location will need my attention – in London."

Oliver blinks and almost has to grin. Felicity Smoak, IT-genius and matchmaker – all in one. "You do know, that if you leave I'll get this company back?"

"I'm well aware."

Both men share a genuine smile. Then Oliver extends his hand. "Welcome to Palmer Technologies," Ray gives him a cheeky grin.

"For now, let's call it that," Oliver can't hold back and squeezes the hand a bit harder than necessary.

**End**

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading.<strong>


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